Ed Allred’s Defending Champ and EG High Desert Farms’ Favorite Jesshawk will meet for the third time in a high-profile race when they face off in Grade 2, $197,500 Golden State Derby on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
Defending Champ has come out on top in those two matchups with the gelding by Favorite Cartel holding off Favorite Jesshawk in their first encounter when winning the Governor’s Cup Derby by ¾ lengths on California Breeders Champions Night on Saturday, July 26. The two sophomore standouts met again in a trial to the Golden State Derby at 400 yards and this time it was much tighter affair. The two chased the early leader in that trial before Favorite Jesshawk moved ahead of Defending Champ while chasing Jo Rae Burns’ Astronomical 123. Defending Champ rallied furiously down the stretch in a thrilling finish to win by only a nose over the multiple stakes winner Favorite Jesshawk.
“He got away from the gate great (in his trial),” Willoughby said. “(Favorite Jesshawk) ran a great race. He finishes so strong now and he’s just a big powerful horse. He’s not one of those that gets all stirred up. He’s calm, he’s nice, he doesn’t worry about anything. He relaxes good, which is great. He just loves going down the track.”
Their third consecutive meeting should be another nailbiter of a race as Defending Champ and Favorite Jesshawk arrive in peak form and ready for a battle in the Golden State Derby final on Saturday. The Scott Willoughby-trained Defending Champ still must be considered the horse to beat in this race, as his outstanding record of five wins from six starts in 2025 make him the top 3-year-old on the grounds. To be ridden by Gabriel Lara, Defending Champ will start from post number 10, making it the first time that he’s ever started from the farthest outside spot in the starting gate.
EG High Desert Farms’ Favorite Jesshawk, winner of the Governor’s Cup Futurity last year, enters as the second fastest qualifier with a time of :19.652. The homebred son of A Mere Felix won five of nine starts during his juvenile campaign in 2024 including the Governor’s Cup Futurity and the Los Alamitos Juvenile Invitational. He started his 2025 campaign with a pair of out of the money finished, but he’s been much sharper of late, as proven by his solid runner-up efforts to Defending Champ. Jesus Nunez will saddle Favorite Jesshawk from post number two. He will be ridden by Ricardo Ramirez.
Jo Rae Burns’ Astronomical 123 was quicker than both Defending Champ and Favorite Jesshawk in their trial race and he’s been in good form dating back to last November. The Mike Casselman-trainee has won two out of his last four starts since then and his third-place finish to Defending Champ in their trial was still good enough for the third fastest qualifying time of the night.
Ed Allred’s Listen Now might be flying under the radar. He was second to Gentry Farms’ talented filly Beach Walk in their trial, but he’s shown very good early speed in his last two starts and was second to the great veteran Cattail Cove when taking on older rivals in the Grade 1 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap on July 26. Another fast start and a little luck could carry this Willoughby trainee to the winner’s circle.
Jose Flores will send out a pair of solid sophomores in the Golden State Derby in Robs Reason and Walking Tool. A finalist to the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity last year, Robs Reason qualified for the Golden State Derby after an upset trial victory over a strong field that included multiple stakes winner Train B Taka. To be ridden by Irving Lara, Robs Reason broke nicely but he was at this best during the second half of the race and he pulled away to a ¾ length win.
“We saw him in the barn before the race and he was so full of it,” Marta Winslow said. “The grooms were hanging out with him trying to keep him quiet. He was really feeling good.”
Here’s the field from the rail out: Astronomical 123, Favorite Jesshawk, Naïve, Listen Now, Walking Tool, Robs Reason, Its On You, Beach Walk, CM Jesse B A Cowboy, and Defending Champ.
